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THE 

RECOVERY OF JERUSALEM: 



/S\^^^^ /Jfl 



OR 

THE HISTOEY OF THE WAES 

OF 

THE CEUSADERS, 

FOK 

THE RECOVERY OF THE HOLY SEPULCHRE 
FROM THE SARACENS. 



" In the year of grace a thousand and sixteen, 
This great creyserie began, that long was i-seen. 
Of so much folk nyme Ihe cross, ne to the holy land go, 
Me ne see no time before, ne suth nathemo 
For self women ne beleved, that they ne wend thither fast, 
Ne young folk that feeble were, the while the voyage y-lasl." 

Robert's Chronicle. 



J^ 



.^ 



^ 



1* 



'^H. 



BY B.' K; P E I R C E. 



WriiUn for the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, and 
approved by ike Committee of Publication. 



BOSTON: 

MASSACHUSETTS SABBATH SCHOOL SOCIETY, 
Depository, No. 13 ComhiU. 

1851. 



Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1S51, 

By CHKISTOPHER C. DEAN, 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 



y^n 



^rrfiite. 



Among the most interesting members of the Sabbath 
school, are the older scholars who have passed the 
limits of childhood, and entered upon the important 
and delicate period of youth. Many of these have en- 
joyed the instruction of the best day schools, and their 
minds have been so far quickened and strengthened, as 
to enable them to appreciate and enjoy a higher class 
of reading than the juvenile volumes of the S. S. Li- 
brary. A large portion of these volumes are Biogra- 
phies and " tales founded on fact," proper enough in 
their place, but inducing in the youthful mind when 
the only mental food, too great a fondness for desul- 
tory, and a disrelish for more solid reading. 

It is desirable that the young should form a taste 
for historical reading, affording to them as this will, 
in all time, both interest and instruction, and improv- 
ing the mind and heart. To assist in cultivating such 
a taste, as well as to illustrate an interesting period 
in the history of the church, and of the Holy Land, 
this little volume has been prepared. It aims to be 
not only harmleBS, conveying no false impreseions of 



Vlll PREFACE. 

life or nature, but wholesome, presenting important and 
instructive lessons. 

Many valuable thoughts will be suggested to any 
young mind that will attentively peruse these pages. 
It will be impossible to avoid comparing our superior op- 
portunities, our higher civil, social, and religious privileges, 
and our advances in all useful knowledge, with the 
ages in which these remarkable events occurred. We 
live in a blessed era in the history of the church and 
of the world, and on this account share peculiar re- 
sponsibilities. If the church should now feel as anx- 
ious to convert the world as she was to regain the 
Holy Sepulchre from the hands of the Turks ; and 
if she would put forth as much effort, and as freely 
offer her money and her life, it would not be long 
before "Ethiopia would stretch out her hands unto 
God," and every nation under heaven hear the glad 
tidings of a Saviour's death and mediation. Think of 
these things young readers, and nourish in your hearts 
high purposes to glorify God, and in coming years to 
labor for the benefit of your fellow men. 

In preparing these pages we have consulted, Russell's 
Modern Europe, Hallam's Middle Ages, James' History 
of Chivalry, Ockly's History of the Saracens, William 
of Malmesbury's English Chronicle, Chronicles of the 
Crusades, and Chamber's Miscellany. 



I. 



CHAPTER I. 
EARLY PILGRIMAGES TO THE HOLY LAND. 

Dispersion of the Jews. Fulfillment of Prophecy. State 
of Palestine. Conversion of Constantine. Associations 
connected witli the Holy Land. Empress Helena. Mis- 
taken opinions and practices of the Church. Monks 
and Pilgrims rush to Palestine. Relics. Finding of the 
true cross 15 

CHAPTER II. 

DIVISION OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE: RISE OF 
MOHAMMED. 

Building of Constantinople. Division of Empire. Dis- 
solution of Western Empire. Modern European divi- 
sions. Power of the Romish Church. Invasion of 
Eastern Empire by the Persians. Mohammed invades 
Syria. Abubeker. Omar. Conquest of Palestine. Pil- 
grimages to Jerusalem. 27 



CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER III. 
THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PILGRIMS. 

Cruelty of the Caliphs of Egypt. Invasion of the 
Turkomen. Dreadful sufferings of the Christians. Of 
the Pilgrims. Fear of the world's end, and its con- 
sequences in the tenth century. Effect of these perse- 
cutions upon Christendom. Pope Gregory VH. 35 

CHAPTER IV. 

PETER THE HERMIT. 

Progress of the Turks. Peter the Hermit. His zeal 
awakened by the insults of the Turks. Patriarch of 
Jerusalem. Pope Urban II. Peter travels and preaches 
the Crusade through Europe. The Councils of Pla- 
centia and Clermont. Address of the Pope. . 43 

CHAPTER V. 

CHIVALRY. 

Origin of the Feudal system. Its evils. Chivalry. Its 
benefits. Origin. The training of the Knight. His 
investment with its honors, . . , <. 57 



CONTENTS. 21 

CH APTEE VI. 
THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

Enthusiasm excited by Peter and the Pope. WiUiam 
of Mahnesbury. Crowds begin to rush towards Jeru- 
salem. All Classes. Robert the pennyless. Peter and 
his company. Gottchalt and his banditti. Massacre of 
the Jews. Destroyed by the Hungarians. Walter and 
his army routed at Nice. Providence of God in this 
great bloodshed. ,69 

CHAPTER VII. 
THE FIRST CRUSADE CONTINUED. 

The real Crusade. Godfrey of BouUlon. Alexis. Delay 
at Constantinople. Appearance of the army upon 
the shores of the Hellespont. Peter the Hermit. The 
route of the army. Siege and Conquest of Nice. Bat- 
tle of Doryloeum. Improvidence of the Crusaders. 
Siege of Antioch. Besieged in their turn by the Per- 
sians. Awful suffering. Spear-head with which Christ 
was crucified. Victory. Burning of Peter Bar- 



XU CONTENTS. 

CH APTEE VIII. 
THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OP JERUSALEM. 

The march to Jerusalem. Emotions excited. Tasso. 
Siege of Jerusalem. Its capture. Butchery of the 
Turks. Penitential visit to the Sepulchre. Godfrey 
of Bouillon elected King of Jerusalem. Language and 
government. . . . ... . 97 

CHAPTER IX. 

PALESTINE UNDER THE CRUSADERS: THE 

SECOND CRUSADE. 

Death of Godfrey. Baldwin II. Fulk of Anjpu., Bald- 
win III. Extension of Kingdom. Immense number 
of Pilgrims. Origin of the order of Hospitallers. Of 
the Templars. Antioch. Edessa. Its Conquest by 
the Emir of Aleppo. Cause of Second Crusade. 
St. Bernard. Louis of France. Conrad of Germany. 
Failure of the Crusade 104 

CHAPTER X. 
SALADIN: RECONQUEST OF JERUSALEM. 

Almeric, Noureddin. Rise of Saladin. Plots for the 
Conquest of Syria and Palestine. Troubles in Jeru- 



CONTENTS. XIU 

salem. Eaimond, Count of Tripoli. Guy de Lusig- 
nan. Capture of Jerusalem and of the whole country. 
Third Crusade. Archbishop of Tyre. Death of Urban. 
Gregory Till. Frederick of Germany. Eichard of 
England. Augustus of France. Death of Frederick. 
Siege of Acre. Peace with Saladin. . . 115 

CHAPTER XI. 

TEE kemaini:n'g crusades. 

The effect of the third Crusade. Struggles in the 
East. Fourth Crusade. Innocent III. Conquest of 
the Greek Empire by the Crusaders. Fifth Crusade. 
Sixth Crusade. Capture of Louis of France. Seventh 
Crusade. Conquest of Palestine by the Saracens. 
'Its history to the present time. . . . 130 

CHAPTER XII. 
THE RESULTS OF THE CRUSADES. 

Effect of the Crusades upon European politics. Upon 
religion. Turkish power broken. Other political 
blessings. Arts and Sciences obtained from Saracens. 
Commerce, Poetr^'-. Modern languages and literature. 
New world. Art of printing, Eeformatioa. , 137 



THE 



WARS OF THE CRUSADERS. 



CHAPTER I. 

EARLY PILGRIMAGES TO THE HOLY LAND. 

Dispersion of the Jews. Fulfillment of prophecy. State 
. of Palestine. Conversion of Constantino. Associations 

connected with the Holy Land. Empress Helena. 

Mistaken opinions and practices of the chnrch. Monks 

and Pilgrims rush to Palestine. Relics. Finding of 

the true cross. 

Jerusalem, the metropolis of the Holy 
Land, was destroyed in the year 70 of 
the Christian era, by Titus the son of 
the Roman Emperor Vespusian. From 
this time the Jews have ceased to be 



16 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 

known as a nation. Thousands of this 
miserable people perished in the war 
with the Romans, and tens of thousands 
in the sacking of their city. More were 
sold as slaves in different portions of 
the Roman Empire; or, to avoid death 
by sword or famine, went into volun- 
tary exile from their native land, seek- 
ing retreats in all parts of the world. 
And thus was the Divine prophecy 
written by the hand of Moses in refer- 
ence to this nation fulfilled. "1 will 
make 3^our cities waste and bring your 
sanctuaries into desolation, and I will 
not smell the savor of your sweet odors; 
and your enemies which dwell therein 
shall be astonished at it. And I will 
scatter you among the heathen, and 
will draw out a sword after you." 
(Lev. 26: 31—33.) 

From this period Palestine for more 



TO THE HOLY LAND. IT 

than two centuries continued to be an 
unimportant province of the great Ro- 
man Empire, inhabited by a mixed pop- 
ulation of Christians, Jews, and Pagans. 
The pagan Roman Emperors in their 
detestation of both the Jewish and 
Christian rehgion, erected temples to 
their idols over the foundation of the 
Jewish temple upon Mount Zion, and 
over the scene of the Crucifixion of the 
Saviour of the world. The very name 
of the city, so dear both to the Jew 
and the Christian, was changed, and 
the new city which he built on the 
ruins of the old, was called by the 
pagan Emperor Adrian, Mlia.. 

In the year of our Lord 321, Con- 
stantine, the Roman Emperor, became 
a convert to the Christian religion ; 
paganism was publicly renounced, and 

2# 



18 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 

the religion of Jesus Christ became the 
established faith of the empire. 

Palestine, and especially Jerusalenij 
now became objects of interest to all 
Christians. As the scene of the most 
sublime events that the world had ever 
witnessed, and hallowed by thrilling as- 
sociations, every foot of its earth seemed 
holy ground. Here transpired the prin- 
cipal events recorded in the inspired 
volume which contained all the revela- 
tions of the Christian religion. Within 
the limits of this province, the Patriarchs 
journeyed and pitched their tents, and 
these hills and valleys once echoed 
with the son^s of David. But more 
powerful ties than these drew hither 
the wondering, weepmg, lovmg Pilgrims 
from Christian lands. Here the ' High 
Priest of their salvation ' was ' made per- 



TO THE HOLY LAND. 19 

feet by suffering,' Here he lived, and 
labored, preached and commissioned his 
disciples ; suffered in submission, died 
the crucified; arose the glorified, and 
ascended into heaven, xllmost every 
town, river and mountain had been 
rendered sacred to the believer by his 
presence and miracles ; but Jerusalem 
above all, the scene of his tears, be- 
trayal and death, was invested with an 
interest that no other city in the world 
could share. 

The Empress Helena, the mother of 
Constantino, at that time 80 years of 
age, gave an example of zeal and per- 
severance that was worthy of a better 
cause. She left the royal palace, and 
undertook at this advanced age a tour 
over the Holy Land, and a thorough 
examination of all the localities men- 
tioned in the Evangelists. She caused, 



20 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 



at a great expense, splendid churches 
and monasteries to be erected over 
many real, and many more fictitious 
scenes of Scripture transactions. This 
royal example found a crowd of imi- 
tators. Thousands of all classes, the 
rich and the poor, of the clergy and 
the laity, undertook, at great sacrifices, 
this sacred pilgrimage, hurrying, with 
swelling hearts, to pray in Bethlehem and 
Nazareth and to weep in Gethsemane 
and upon Calvary. The knowledge 
and piety of the church had not kept 
pace with its growth and worldly re- 
putation. Numerous heresies and super- 
stitions had already crept into her fold, 
and the errors that afterwards caused 
her ruin began now to appear. Severe 
bodily sufierings, seclusion from society, 
exhausting fastings and vigils began 
to be considered eminently meritorious 



TO THE HOLY LAND. 21 

and conducive of growth in holiness. 
Monasteries and communities of anchorites 
or hermits became numerous. ., In the 
deserts of southern Egypt and amid 
the barren and solemn wastes around 
Mount Sinai, and wherever a deep se- 
clusion from active hfe could be secured, 
there might a company of monks, or a 
solitary hermit be found, attempting by 
hard fare, bloody scourgings, unceasing 
formal prayers, and pious meditations to 
overcome the " world, the flesh, and the 
devil/' How sadly had they overlooked 
the only true means of sanctification — 
faith in Christ, and a life of active con- 
secration in his service. How unlike 
the example of their Master, who loent 
about doing good^ was their course. 
'" Ye are m the world^^^ said our Lord 
to his apostles in his valedictory dis- 
course; and he intends that the Christian 



22 EAKLY PILGRIMAGES 

should remain here, in the midst of his 
fellow men, "diligent in business, hut fer- 
vent in spirit," that the ''world through 
him may be saved." 

The sacred desolations of Palestine 
offered an inviting field for the gratifi- 
cation of this morbid and mistaken 
piety. Thousands of Monks and Nuns 
thronged the monasteries, and peopled 
the mountains, tombs, and caves of the 
Holy Land. 

The Pilgrimage hither, itself, soon came 
to be considered not only an expression 
of devout reverence for the founder of 
their religion, but as possessing a sanc- 
tifying and saving power. 

Men that had lived unholy lives, or 
that had committed some fearful crime, 
the weight of which pressed heavily 
upon their souls, set out upon the long 
journey to the Holy Sepulchre, confi- 



TO THE HOLY LAND. 23 

dent that the prayers and penitence of- 
fered over the place where Jesus was 
crucified would secure the pardon of 
the direst sins. A singular value, in 
these times, began to be set upon the 
relics of sacred places and persons; and 
a miraculous power to heal diseases both 
of the body and mind was attributed 
to them. Multitudes hastened to the 
distant shores of Syria to obtain por- 
tions of the true cross, the bones of the 
apostles, the garments of the holy Vir- 
*gin Mary, and the remains of martyrs 
and confessors who had died in defence 
of the gospel. The art of designing 
men and the credulity of the ignorant 
crowds, afforded an ample supply of 
these prized relics to meet the impor- 
tunity of the innumerable Pilgrims. 
The manner in which the true cross 



24 EARLY PILGRIMAGES 

vms said to have been discovered will 
show hov/ easily these relics could have 
been multiplied. Q^ueen Helena ordered 
workmen to dig in search after it, at 
the supposed site of the crucifixion. 
Between three and four hundred years 
had passed since Jesus had hung upon 
the cross. Nevertheless, after indefatiga- 
ble labor three crosses were shown, 
which were said to have been found 
buried in the earth ! The pious, but 
credulous and superstitious Queen was 
satisfied that they were the crosses of 
Christ and the two thieves ! But here 
arose another difiiculty; on which of 
the three was the Saviour crucified? 
A sick man was found, and the crosses 
were laid upon him, one after another. 
The touch of the first two produced 
no efiectj but when the third reached 



TO THE HOLT LA2sD. 25 

the body of die sufferer he was, at once, 
made whole; — this then must be the 
true cross ! Every chapel, church, and 
baronial hall in Europe became pos- 
sessor of some memento of this descrip- 
tion, and the true Cross became necessa- 
rily multiplied into many thousand 
times its first proportions to meet such 
continued demands. To this very day 
nearly every Roman Catholic church iii 
Europe has its relic, which is made as 
really an object of worship by the poor, 
ignorant and deceived catholic, as the 
idol of the Pagan. 

Ail these things combined to crowd 
the few ports of Palestine with voyagerSj 
and to cover her barren wastes and 
ruined towns v/ith ignorant but sincere 
devotees. The wealthy expended their 
fortunes in founding churches whicli 



26 EARLY PILGRIMAGES. 

became the resort of numerous bodies 
of clergy whose occupation was to 
point out to the Pilgrims the various 
localities which they had come to see, 
and to exhibit the holy relics, into the 
authenticity of which, the eager and 
craving superstition of the Pilgrims did 
not permit them to inquire. 



DIVISION OF THE EMPIRE. 27 



CHAPTER II. 

DIVISION OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE : RISE OF 
MOHAMMED. 

Building of Constantinople. Division of Empire. Dis- 
solution of Western Empire. Modem European divi- 
sions. Power of the Romish church. Invasion of 
Eastern Empire by the Persians. Mohammed invades 
Syria. Abubeker. Omar. Conquest of Palestine. 
^ Pilgrimages to Jerusalem. 

About the close of the fourth century 
the vast Roman Empire became sun- 
dered into two divisions. Constantine 
had built for the empire a new capital 
on the Bosphorus — which he called after 
his own name, Constantinople, or the 
city of Constantine, — and had removed 
the seat of government from Rome 



28 DIVISION OF 

thither. Under his successors this im- 
mense realm became divided into the 
Eastern or Greek, and Western or Latin 
Empire, the capital of the former be- 
ing Constantinople, of the latter Rome. 
Syria, including Palestine, belonged to 
the Eastern division. By the end of 
the fifth century the Western Empire 
had been dissolved. The numerous 
European nations which the Roman 
power had been able to hold in sub- 
jection in the day of its strength, now 
threw oil the yoke of servitude. In 
powerful armies, they swept over Italy 
and sacked the queen city of Rome 
itself. Then besan the divisions of 
Modern Europe to appear. The diifer-, 
ent nations gradually arose — the ten 
toes in the image of Daniel succeeding 
the prophetic symbol of the Roman 
power. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 29 

In the destruction of the Empire, 
however, the Western Church lost none 
of its power, but rather gained in 
strength. The bishop of Rome began 
to arrogate to himself the religious su- 
premacy of the world, and under the 
influence of the Roman faith all the 
new governments were established. 

The Eastern Empire preserved its in- 
tegrity for a longer period, but the 
hour of its dissolution was hastening 
on. About the commencement of the 
seventh century, the Persians under 
their king Chosroes penetrated into 
Syria, seized upon Jerusalem, butchered 
thousands of the Monks and consecrated 
virgins, tore down the celebrated Church 
of the Sepulchre, and carried into cap- 
tivity the Patriarch of Jerusalem and 
multitudes of the inhabitants. 

A more terrible enemy than the Per- 

3* 



30 RISE OF MOHAMMED. 

sians soon after began to make inroads 
upon the more distant provinces of the 
Empire. 

In the year of the Christian era 571, 
in the Arabian city of Mecca, the im- 
poster Mohammed was born. The Arab 
writers make him to be descended in a 
right line from Ishmael, the son of 
Abraham. When twenty-five years of 
age he pretended to have received visits 
from the angel Gabriel, who revealed 
to him a new religion, and commissioned 
him to become the apostle of God. It 
was a long period before he could per- 
suade even his own family, his wife 
and nncle only excepted, to believe in 
him as a prophet. 

His life being often sought in his 
native city, on account of his preten- 
sions to a sacred character, he fled 
with his small band of followers to the 



RISE OF MOHAMMED. 81 

city of Medina, where he met with 
greater success in propagating his faith. 
He now asserted that he had received 
a new commission from Gabriel, com- 
manding him to go forth with the sword 
and slay all that should refuse to ac- 
knowledge him as a prophet, and the 
Koran, his pretended revelations, as in- 
spired. This religion was well calcu- 
lated to meet the appetites of the Sara- 
cenic or Arabian tribes, "whose hands," 
according to the prophecy in reference 
to Ishmael and his descendants, "had 
■been against every man." Two or three 
victories established the supremacy of 
the Mohammedan faith throughout Ara«= 
bia, and a vast army gathered under 
the crescent standard of the Imposter 
ready to move in any direction at his 
command, with the watchword upon 
their lips, "God is great—there is but 



82 RISE OF MOHAMMED. 

one God — Mohammed is his prophet." 
In A. D. 630, he marched towards Sy- 
ria with an army cf 30,000 men, and 
having taken several towns from the 
Christian Arabs, he returned to Medina. 
Soon after this he died. He was suc- 
ceeded by Abubeker, under the title of 
Caliph, which signifies a successor or 
vicar, under whom the invasion of Sy- 
ria was vigorously pressed, the Grecian 
army was routed, and the wealthy and 
beautiful, Christian city of Damascus was 
taken. Upon the death of Abubeker, 
the celebrated Caliph Omar became the 
head of the Mohammedans. He finished 
the conquest of Syria, Palestine and 
Egypt, annexing them to the great Ara- 
bian Empire. Jerusalem now became a 
Mohammedan city^ the temples of the 
false prophet were reared by the side of 
the Christian structures, and many of 



RISE OF MOHAMMED. 33 

the chapels and churches were changed 
into mosques. The early Saracenic Ca- 
liphs, following the example of Omar, 
treated the Christian inhabitants of Je- 
rusalem with great leniency, permitting 
them for a specified tribute to have 
a patriarch, to retain some of their 
churches, and to continue religious ser- 
vices according to their own, forms. 

Pilgrimages from the Western or Latin 
church, which now embraced the dif- 
ferent nations that had sprung from the 
ruins of the Western portion of the 
Roman Empire, began to revive with 
new vigor. Every year, large numbers 
of Pilgrims from Italy, and from the 
Western provinces of Europe, passed 
through Asia Minor and along the 
snores of the Levant (the Eastern 
shores of the Mediterranean Sea ;) or, 
as was quite as common, combining 



34 RISE OF MOHAMMED. 

the spirit of piety with that of com- 
merce, they sailed in trading vessels 
along the shores of the Mediterranean, 
extending their voyage to the Holy 
Land, to admit of their visiting the 
sacred city, with its sepulchre and 
cross. 



SUFFEKINGS OF PILGRIMS. 35 



CHAPTEE III. 

THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PILGRIMS. 

Cruelty of the Caliphs of Egypt. Invasion of the Tur- 
komen. Dreadful sufferings of the Christians. Of the 
Pilgrims. Fear of the world's end, and its consequen- 
ces in the Tenth century. Effect of these persecu- 
tions upon Christendom. Pope Gregory VII. 

In the changes transpiring in the dy- 
nasties of the Mohammedan Cahphs, 
the toleration granted to the Christians 
in Palestine varied with the disposi- 
tions of the reigning Cahph. 

Under what were called the Fatimite 
Caliphs of Egypt, who held possession 
of Egypt about the year 980, the 
Christian inhabitants of Palestine, and 
the Pilgrims to the Holy Sepulchre 



38 SUFFERINGS OF 

were treated with the utmost cruelty. 
The Pilgrims were robbed, beaten, and 
sometimes slain upon their journeys, 
while heavy impositions were laid upon 
the Christian residents and insults were 
offered to their religious views and sa- 
cred places. 

But these sufferings were light com- 
pared with those that followed. In 
1065, the barbarous hordes of Turkomen, 
(or Turks) from Central Asia came 
pouring down upon Syria and Palestine, 
making a thorough conquest of the 
country. They had but recently em- 
braced Moslemism, and therefore were 
more fanatical and cruel than other 
Mohammedans. These warlike and rude 
Turks, turned their amis alike, against 
Christians, Jews, and even the native 
Mohammedans. '' No description," says 
the Abbe Yertoi, in his History of the 



THE PILGRIMS. 3T 

Knights of Malta, "can give a concep- 
tion of all the cruelties which they 
committed. Numbers of the Christians 
were butchered ; the Hospital of St. 
John, founded for the relief of Pilgrims 
about seventeen years before by some 
pious Italian merchants, who had ob- 
tained a piece of ground for the pur- 
pose, was plundered ; and these barba- 
rians would have destroyed the Holy 
Sepulchre, had not their avarice re- 
strained them. The fear of losing the 
revenues, raised upon the Pilgrims of 
the west, preserved the tomb of our 
Saviour. But, to gratify at once their 
avarice and their hatred to all who 
bore the name of Christians, they loaded 
them with heavier tributes ; so that the 
Pilgrims after having spent all their 
money in the course of so long a 
voyage, or having been stripped by 



38 SUFFERINGS OF 

robbers J and worn out with hunger and 
miseries of all sorts, at last, for want 
of money to discharge such excessive 
tributes, perished at the gates of Jeru- 
salem, without being able to obtain the 
consolation of seeing, before they died, 
the Holy Sepulchre, the only object of 
their vows, and the end of so tedious 
a pilgrimage." 

So imminent were the dangers at- 
tending this sacred tour that one pious 
Pilgrim, Bartholemeo George witz, who 
published an account of his wanderings, 
advised his brother Pilgrims before they 
started upon their journey to make 
their wills, " like one going not to the 
earthly but to the heavenly Jerusalem." 

These perils, however, by no means 
hindered the tide of infatuated Pilgrims 
that flowed towards Palestine. In the 
tenth century an opinion, drawn from 



THE PILGRIMS. 89 

the symbols of the book of Revelation, 
(Chap. 20 : 2 — 4,) was widely prevalent, 
that the end of the world was at hand, 
and that the Second appearance of Christ 
would soon occur. Worldly pleasures 
and business lost their power over hearts 
alive to such terrible convictions. The 
precincts of the Holy Sepulchre was 
esteemed the most desirable position in 
which to meet the descending Saviour, 
and a journey thither the most merito- 
rious labor for the last hours of their 
earthly probation. 

• They journeyed towards Palestine at 
this time, not singly merely, but in 
great num.bers; princes with their re- 
tinues and noble ladies disguising their 
sex in male attire, disposing of their 
earthly possessions, hastened to Jerusa- 
lem to prepare to meet their Redeemer. 
The time passed by without the ex= 



40 SUFFERINGS OF 

pected event occurring, but the enthu- 
siasm of the Pilgrims was not abated; 
the Pilgrim's staff, still marked the Sy- 
rian desert, and the Pilgrim's blood, 
the gloomy way. 

Those that survived the dangers of 
this long and perilous journey, upon 
their return related the dangers that 
they had encountered and their cruel 
and vexatious treatment at the hands 
of the infidel Turks. These accounts 
produced a deep sensation through- 
out Christendom, both among the Latin 
Christians, as those of the West were 
called, and among the Greek Christians, 
as the population of the Eastern or 
Byzantine Empire were called. 

The Greek Emperor and his people 
had especial occasion for anxiety; for 
from their geographical situation, if 
the Turks were not checked, Constan- 



THE PILaHIMS. 41 

tinople, the capital of their own Em- 
pire, would soon share the fate of 
Jerusalem J and the Eastern Empire be 
entirely overrun by these merciless in- 
vaders. 

Manuel YII. the Greek emperor, in 
1073, sent therefore, to supplicate the 
assistance of Pope Gregory VII. against 
the Turks. This request was cordially 
received by the Pope, especially as it 
was accompanied with expressions of 
respect for his Holiness, and for the 
Latin church. 

A bitter controversy had been raging 
until this time between the two church- 
es, both considering each other as schis- 
matics. The Greek church yielded spir- 
itual obedience to their own Patriarch, 
as the chief bishop of Constantinople 
was called, and refused to acknowledge 
the Pope of the Westj as the universal 



42 SUFFERINGS OF PILGRIMS. 

head of the church — an authority which 
the bishop of Rome had arrogantly as- 
sumed for himself. 

Pope Gregory, esteeming this a good 
opportunity to secure the subjection of 
the Greek church to his ecclesiastical 
supremacy, resolved at first, to raise an 
army in the West by his influence 
over the different nations, and march at 
their head, for the rescue of the Holy 
Sepulchre from the hands of the Turks. 
But this plan Gregory never executed, 
and it was left to his successor to fol- 
low up his intentions in this respect. 



PETER THE HERMIT. 43 



CHAPTER IV. 

PETER THE HERMIT. 

Progress of the Turks. Peter the Hermit. His zeal 
awakened by the insults of the Turks. Patriarch of 
Jerusalem. Pope Urban H. Peter travels and preaches 
the Crusade through Europe. The councils of Bla- 
centia and Clermont. Address of the Pope. 

The Turks still continued their inroads 
•upon the Greek empire, and in 1081, 
at the accession of Alexius Comnenus 
to the Byzantine throne, the whole of 
Asia Minor was in the possession of 
the Turks. This added to the difficul- 
ties and dangers of the Pilgrims, who 
passed through Asia Minor on their 
way to Jerusalem. Not one out of 
three ever returned to relate his adven- 



44 PETER THE HERMIT. 

tures to his friends or to thrill their 
hearts with descriptions of the Holy 
city, the Mount of Olives, the garden 
of Gethsemane, Calvary, and the sa- 
cred Sepulchre. 

Among the thousands of excited Pil- 
grims, who dared the perils of this 
pious tour, was a native of the city of 
Amiens in France, Peter by name. Of 
his early history little is known. He 
had been a soldier in his ^^-outh, after- 
wards married a lady of rank, but 
poor and old; and finally he had re- 
nounced the world from religious con- 
victions and had become a Monk of the 
most rigorous class. From his seclusion 
from the world and his ascetic habits, 
he had received the title of Peter the 
Hermit, 

To relieve his conscience from the 



PETER THE HERMIT. 45 

remorse of some crime, or to secure to 
himself some spiritual gift, he under- 
took the pilgrimage to the Holy Sepul- 
chre. He succeeded in reaching Jeru- 
salem, paid his fee for admittance into 
the hands of the hated Turk, and then 
prostrated himself upon the sacred places 
of his religion, until his soul burned 
with the fires of a fanatical piety. He 
had witnessed the terrible persecutions 
of his Christian brethren in their pas- 
sage to this Holy Shrine; the sneering 
insults of the Turks ; the groans and 
dying struggles of the famishing ones 
beneath the walls of the city, who had 
not money to bribe the heartless keep- 
ers of the gate, and the cruelties prac- 
ticed upon the Christians in Jerusalem. 
All this he had seen, and if there had 
been nothing besides, the very presence 



46 PETER THE HERMIT. 

of the Turk, and the site of his un- 
holy temples within the precincts of 
the sanctified environs of the Cross and 
Sepulchre were enough to arouse his 
heated passions, and induce the most de- 
termined resolutions to move the Christ- 
ian world to the rescue. Although in 
his estimation the Greek Patriarch of 
Jerusalem was a heretic, according to 
the decision of Peter's church, their 
common interests and sufferings des- 
troyed for a time their theological dif- 
ferences, and with this meek and pious 
man, the Hermit held many long, and 
affecting interviews. Simeon assured Pe- 
ter that nothing could be expected from 
the Greek empire in behalf of the Holy 
Land ; that the court at Constantinople 
was both weak and dissolute, and that 
all hope of success against the Turks 



PETER THE HERMIT. 47 

rested in a union of the Latin princes 
for this grand object. 

Peter embraced the idea, and ad- 
dressed himself to this vast undertaking. 
''Write," he said to the Patriarch, "to 
the Pope and to all the Latin Christians; 
and seal your letters with the signet 
of your office as Patriarch of Jerusalem. 
As a penance for my sins, I will travel 
over Europe; I will describe everywhere 
the condition of the Holy City, and ex- 
hort princes and people to wrest it 
from the profane hands of the infidel." 
. The hermit arrived in Italy, full of 
his great object, and sought at once 
the benediction and cooperation of the 
pope. 

Urban II., the pupil and successor of 
Gregory YII., was an able and humane 
man. He entered fully into the scheme 



48 PETER THE HERMIT. 

of Peter, but first judged it best that 
he should pass through the Cathohc 
nations of Europe, fortified by a papal 
bull, and rouse the sympathies of Christ- 
endom by the relation of the harrowing 
recitals which he had brought back 
from the Holy Land. 

Peter set forth at once upon his wel- 
come mission. He rushed from province 
to province, from city to city, traversing 
all Europe in less than a year, bear- 
ing a crucifix in his hand, relating 
with flowing tears the sufierings of the 
pious Pilgrims, and the desolations of 
Jerusalem at the hands of the ruthless 
infidels, — and urging upon princes and 
people to undertake the rescue of the 
city of the cross and of their perishing 
brethren. Peter is said by his contem- 
poraries to have been small in stature, 



PETER THE HERMIT. 49 

but his eyes possessed a peculiar fire 
and intelligence and his eloquence was 
powerful and flowing. He wore a wool- 
en tunic, with a brown mantle which 
fell down to his heels. His arms and 
his feet were bare, and he was abste- 
mious in his diet. 

" His strange and wild aspect, his 
glittering eye, his shrill and unearthly 
eloquence, his pathetic descriptions ot 
the state of Jerusalem and the Christians 
there, produced everywhere the most 
extraordinary sensations." "When," says 
Gibbon, "he painted the sufferings of 
the natives and Pilgrims of Palestine, 
every heart was melted to compassion ; 
every breast glowed with indignation, 
when he challenged the warriors of 
the age to defend their brethren and 
rescue their Saviour." 

5 



50 PETER THE HERMIT. 

Such was the enthusiasm roused by 
the eloquence of the Hermit that the 
Pope thought it advisable to call a 
Council and discuss the proposed Cru- 
sade ; for thus was this warfare called, 
as it was undertaken under the banner 
of the Cross and each warrior wore this 
emblem upon his shoulder. The first 
council was held at Placentia, in 1095, 
where, so vast was the multitude, that 
it was found necessary to hold it in 
the open fields. It consisted of four 
thousand ecclesiastics, and thirty thou- 
sand of the laity, who all urged the 
war against the infidels, and pledged 
themselves to aid in it. A second 
Council was soon after called at Cler- 
mont in the province of Auvergne, in 
France. Here again an immense mul- 
titude assembled, and the Pope himself 



PETER THE HERMIT. 51 

ascending the pulpit swayed the assembly 
to and fro by his eloquence. William 
of Malmesbury, author of the "English 
Chronicle " was present and has pre- 
served the speech. After speaking of 
the sad divisions that then existed in 
Christendom, the terrible crimes that 
were prevalent, he exhorted them to 
union, to repentance for their sins and 
to undertake this holy struggle as a 
meritorious penance for their guilt. "The 
cause" said he, "of these labors, will 
be charity ; if thus warned by the com- 
mand of God, you lay down your lives 
for the brethren: the wages of charity 
will be the grace of God ; the grace of 
God is followed by eternal life. Go 
then prosperously ; go then with confi- 
dence, to attack the enemies of God. 
For they long since, oh, sad reproach 



52 PETER THE HERMIT. 

to Christians ! have seized Syria, Arme- 
nia, and lastly all Asia Minor. Nay, 
they usurp even the Sepulchre of our 
Lord, that singular assurance of our 
faith; and sell to our Pilgrims admis- 
sions to that city, which ought, had 
they a trace of their ancient courage 
left, to be open to Christians only. ^- * 
Thus endued with skill and valor 
you undertake a memorable expedition. 
You will be extolled throughout all 
ages, if you rescue your brethren from 
danger. To those present, in God's 
name I command this, to the absent 
I enjoin it. Let such as are going to 
fight for Christianity, put the form of 
the Cross upon their garments, that 
they may outwardly demonstrate the 
love arising from their inward faith ; 
enjoying by the gift of God, and the 



PETER THE HERMIT. 53 

privilege of St. Peter, absolution from 
all their crimes : let this in the mean- 
time soothe the labor of their journey ; 
satisfied that they shall obtain, after 
death the advantages of a blessed martyr- 
dom. ^ =^ * Remember the saying of God 
— ' Narrow is the way which leadeth to 
life!' Place before your imagination, if 
you shall be made captive, tormeuts 
and chains ; nay, every possible suffer- 
ing that can be inflicted. Expect even 
horrible punishments, that so, if it be 
necessary, you may redeem your souls 
at the expense of your bodies. Do you 
fear death, ye men of courage? Know 
you not that 'for men to live is wretch- 
edness, and to die is gain?' Death sets 
free from its filthy prison the human 
soul, which then takes flight for the 
mansions fitted for its virtues : death 



64 PETER THE HERMIT. 

accelerates their country to the good; 
death cuts short the wickedness of the 
ungodly. By means of death, the soul, 
made free, is either soothed with joy- 
ful hope, or is punished without fur- 
ther apprehension of worse." Thus and 
more he spoke while the congregated 
mass of human beings began to heave 
to and fro below him like the waves 
of the sea. At length as he urged them 
forward in this glorious undertaking, 
the pent up emotions of the crowd burst 
forth. "God wills it! God wills it!" 
rose simultaneously from every side. 
"So dearest brethren," contirmed the 
Pontiff, happily turning the enthusiasm of 
the moment to his purpose, "the ful- 
fillment of the Scriptural promise, that 
wherever two or three are gathered to- 
gether in the name of Christ, there he 



PETER THE HERMIT. 55 

will be with them. The Spirit of God 
alone can have caused this unanimity 
of sentiment among you. Let the very 
words then which his Spirit has dic- 
tated to you, be your cry of war. 
When you attack the enemy,- let the 
words resound from every side. 'God 
wills it ! God wills it ! ' The old, the 
infirm, the weaker sex altogether, must 
remain in Europe. They would be an 
impediment, rather than an assistance. 
In this holy undertaking the rich should 
succor their poorer brethren, and equip 
them for war. The Clergy must not 
depart without the license of their 
bishops; for, if they should their journey 
would be fruitless. The people must 
not go without a sacerdotal benediction. 
Let every one mark, on his breast or 
back, the sign of our Lord's CrosSj 



56 PETEU THE HERMIT. 

that the saying may be fulfilled, * He 
who takes np the Cross and follows 
me, is worthy of me.' " 

" Tears and groans and shouts were 
the replies of the crowd. The whole 
multitude knelt while one of the car- 
dinals made confession to God of their 
sins ; an(i when they rose, Crosses of 
red cloth were to be seen on the shoul- 
ders of many a priest and many a 
warrior." 



CHIVALRY. 57 



CHAPTER V. 

CHIVALRY. 

Origin of the Feudal System. Its evils. Chivalry. Its 
benefits. Origin. The training of the Knight. His 
investment with its honors. 

Before recounting the events of the 
first Crusade, it will be profitable to 
devote a few pages to an institution 
upon which the church depended large- 
ly for success in this mighty undertak- 
ing, and from which all her noted 
miUtary leaders were chosen. 

When the Northmen, as they were 
called, — the Goths, Yisgoths and Lom- 
bards — pouring in irresistible hordes up- 
on the plains of Italy, had sacked 



58 CHIVALRY. 

Rome, and entirely subverted the West- 
ern Roman Empire, they settled down 
upon these rich and beautiful provinces, 
dividing their splendid booty according 
to their military rank. Each subordi- 
nate officer as he received his allotted 
portion tacitly bound himself to appear 
against their common enemies at the 
call of his superior. " It was in fact 
one great military establishment, canton- 
ed out in a subdued country, under its 
commanders and appropriate officers." 
This formed the feudal system. The 
bond of union between these superior 
and inferior lords was very slight, and 
although it might shield them from 
foreign invasion, it could not save them 
from internal broils. The inequality of 
the divisions gave the few principal 
officers a dangerous power over the 



CHIVALRY. 59 

mass. The King rewarding by lands, 
obtained the fealty of the nobles and 
barons ; and they, in their turn, with 
their increased possessions were enabled 
to construct massive castles, and to 
surround themselves with such princely 
retinues, and powerful forces, as in the 
end to be able even to dispute the 
claims of their lawful sovereigns, and 
of the neighboring barons. Thus were 
introduced the most bitter feuds. For 
want of a strong central government to 
administer justice, crime if clothed with 
power, escaped punishment. The most 
frightful atrocities were perpetrated in 
broad day. Numerous banditti prowled 
over the whole of France and Germany, 
and the history of that age offers a 
complete medley of massacre^ bloodshed, 
torture, crime and misery. 



60 CHIVALEY. 

In the midst of these brutal scenes, 
made necessary by the evils of the 
feudal system, came forth the institution 
of Chivalry. Absurd and laughable as 
were many of the details of this sys- 
tem, and unjustifiable as were many of 
its customs, yet on the whole, for this 
dark age, it was a most astonishing 
advance towards civilization, the purer 
virtues of religion, and the milder gra- 
ces of social life. Almost with the 
suddenness of magic, this wonderful 
change was produced ; and from being 
the stage upon which the cruel and 
remorseless passions of man acted out 
their bloody tragedies, Europe became 
the scene of the most romantic adven- 
tures, the most disinterested generosity, 
the most polished grace, and of the most 
undaunted courage. Chivalry removed 



CHIVALRY. 61 

from ancient wars some of their worst 
characteristics. The conquered were no 
longer inhumanly butchered or enslaved, 
but were treated with the most mag- 
nanimous generosity. Dark and re- 
vengeful passions gave way to noble 
and disinterested sacrifices. From being 
a menial and a slave, woman became 
the object of the most superlative at- 
tention and respect; while on her part, 
she was expected to exhibit correspond- 
ing constancy. As Spencer sang in 
stately verse, 

"For he, me seems, most fit the fair to serve, 
That can her best defend from villany ; 

And she most fit his service doth deserve, 
That fairest is, and from her faith will never swerve." 

The most prominent moral rules of the 
Christian religion were made the nec- 
essary tests of Knightly bearing. The 



62 CHIVALRY. 

protection of the lonely traveler from 
the prowling bandit, and the defence of 
exposed innocence, were the solemn and 
sworn duties of the Knight, and were 
discharged with the most eager and 
romantic zeal. It mellowed the harsh- 
ness of the feudal system, and opened 
the way for a higher state of civil 
union and power. The origin of this 
system was very inconsiderable, and 
has perplexed the minds of historians. 
The most probable supposition is, that 
it was called forth by the evils of the 
feudal system. Some poor nobles, who 
had, perhaps, suffered themselves from 
the tyrannical oppression of more pow- 
erful lords, and moved by the sad, 
spectacle of suffering around them, 
leagued themselves together, with the 
holy purpose of redressing wrongs and 



CHIVALRY. 63 

defending the weak. A cause so wor- 
thy could not fail of obtaining the 
sanction of the church, and it soon 
came to be regarded as one of its 
most powerful aids. 

The respect and almost worship of 
the populace was soon bestowed upon 
its defenders, and thus just indignation 
and a sense of wrong combined with 
religious enthusiasm, expanded the sim- 
ple union of these few nobles into a 
vast and powerful institution. It now 
became necessary that it should have 
forms and laws and insignia; and thus 
were introduced all the stately ceremo- 
nies, the gorgeous array, and the glit- 
tering spectacle. 

The honor of Knighthood was eager- 
ly sought. To be worthy of its privi- 
leges the sons of princes and nobles, at 



64 CHIVALRY. 

the age of seven, left the paternal halls 
to serve as pages or x'arlets in the 
family of some distinguished Knight. 
To the noble ladies of the family, the 
earliest education of the youth, was 
committed, who faithfully instilled into 
his mind the duty of love to God and 
devotion to his chosen lady. " The 
love of God and the ladies," says Hal- 
lam, "was enjoined as a single duty. 
He who was faithful and true to his 
mistress, was held sure of his salvation 
in the theology of the castles." Great 
pains were also bestowed upon their 
physical and mental training. They 
were early accustomed to the most ath- 
letic sports and gymnastic exercises. 
They continually associated with the 
noble guests of the castle, paying them 
every attention and listening with the 



CHIVALRY. 65 

Utmost respect to their discourse. By 
these means they acquired that agility 
and ease of motion, as well as that 
peculiar grace and courtesy of speech, 
which so remarkably distinguished this 
order. At fourteen, after a benediction 
and sage counsel from the priest, the 
young page was invested with the 
sword of the Esquire. 

His exercises now became more se- 
vere and fatiguing, strengthening him 
to bear up under the immense weight 
of armor with which he was to be 
enclosed, and with it to leap upon his 
prancing steed and fight all day in the 
melting sun. 

At twenty-one the preparatory educa- 
tion ended. On this auspicious day the 
Knights in the vicinity with the bishop 

and clergy, the former in their glitter- 
ed 



66 CHIVALRY. 

ing armor, the latter in their robes, 
assembled to conduct the young aspi- ] 
rant to the appointed church. 

High mass was then chanted and 
the novice kneeling, humbly presented ; 
his sword for the blessing of the church. I 
When this had been consecrated to the ! 
service of religion and humanity, and ! 
the possessor solemnly sworn to defend | 
with his life, his faith in the Catholic 
church; to aid the fatherless and wid- 
ow ; to protect the innocent and op- 
pressed ; in all things to be harmless ; 
to hold sacred the rights of the sover- 
eign, and to live blameless before God 
and man ; then his father or some 
chosen Knight approaching, with the 
naked blade of his sword administered 
the accolade— a. blow over the shoulder 
— and pronounced words similar to 



CHIVALRY. 67 

thsse : " In the name of God, St. Mi- 
chael and St. George, I make thee 
Knight; he loyal, hold and true." 

The nohle ladies present, or the at- 
tending Knights, then encased him in 
his ponderous armor, and he stood forth 
the mailed defender of the weak, the 
undaunted champion of his lady, the 
model of polite generosity, and the iron 
bulwark of the truth ; his soul burning 
for an opportunity to display his virtue, 
.coveting the greatest danger, and ready 
for every peril. 

Such was the preparation necessary, 
in the ordinary course, to fit the noble 
youth for the high rank of Knighthood. 
Sometimes, noted acts of bravery or 
magnanimity in humble life and in 
serving-men were repaid by this honor. 
So noble a prize filled the ambition of 



68 CHIVALRY. 

all, and awakened a new ardor in the 
pursuits of learning, and in the execu- 
tion of noble deeds. 

Composed largely of such forces 
(Knights and their retainers) was the 
vast array marshaled out under the 
banners of the cross to perform a ser- 
vice as unique in itself, as was the 
instrumentality that was to accomplish 
It. 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 69 



CHAPTER yi. 

THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

Enthusiasm excited by Peter and the Pope. WiUiam 
of Malmesbury. Crowds begin to rush towards Jeru- 
salem. All classes. Robert the pennyless. Peter and 
his company. Gottchalt. Massacre of the Jews. De- 
stroyed by Hungarians. Walter and his army routed 
at Nice. Providence of God in this great bloodshed. 

The effect of the preaching of the Pope 
and the Hermit surpassed all descrip- 
tion. Immediate preparations began to 
he made in all parts of Europe. Says 
William of Malmesbury, '' there was 
no nation so remote, no people so re- 
tired, as not to contribute its portion. 
This ardent love not only inspired the 



70 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

continental provinces, but even all who 
had heard the name of Christ, whether 
in the most distant islands, or savage 
countries. The Welshman left his hunt- 
ing; the Scot his fellowship with ver- 
min; the Dane his drinking party; the 
Norwegian his raw fish. Lands were 
deserted of their husbandmen; houses 
of their inhabitants; even whole cities 
migrated. There was no regard to re- 
lationship ; affection to their country 
was held in little esteem ; God alone 
was placed before their eyes. Whatever 
was stored in granaries, or hoarded in 
chambers, to answer the hopes of the 
avaricious husbandman, or the covetous- 
ness of the miser, all, all, were desert- 
ed; they hungered and thirsted after 
Jerusalem alone. Joy attended such as 
proceeded; while grief oppressed those 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 71 

that remained. But why do I say re- 
mained? You might see the husband 
departing with his wife, indeed, with 
all his family ; you would smile to see 
the whole household laden on a car- 
riage, about to proceed on their jour- 
ney. The road was too narrow for the 
passengers, the path too confined for 
the travelers, so thickly were they 
thronged with endless multitudes. The 
number surpassed all human imagina- 
tion, though the itinerants were estima- 
ted at six millions." The sound of the 
smith's hammer was heard near every 
castle, repairing armor, and through the 
long winter evenings, the mothers, 
wives, sisters and lovers were employed 
in embroidering banners which their 
dear ones were to carry into the holy 
fields. "The poor themselves," says a 



72 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

contemporary, " canght the flame so 
ardently, that no one paused to think 
of the smallness of his wealth; but 
each set about selling his property at 
as low a price as if he had been held 
in some horrible captivity, and sought 
to pay his ransom without loss of 
time. There v/as a general dearth at 
this time ; but no sooner had Christ 
inspired the multitudes of people to 
seek a voluntary exile, than the money 
which had been hoarded up was in- 
stantly put in circulation, and articles 
which had been horribly dear were, on 
a sudden, sold for nothing. In the mean- 
time, most of those who had not 
determined to go on the journey them- 
selves, were busy joking and laughing 
at those who were thus selling their 
goods at such a loss, and prophesied 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 73 

that the expedition would be disastrous, 
and the return home worse. Such was 
their language to-day; but on the mor- 
row, lo ! seized with the same enthusi- 
asm as the rest ; the mockers abandoned 
all they had for a few crowns, and set 
out with the very same persons that 
they had laughed at. Who can count 
the children and infirm that hastened 
to the war? Who can count the old 
men and young maidens that hastened 
forward? " You warriors," they said, 
" shall vanquish by the spear and the 
sword; but let us at least conquer 
for Christ by our sufferings." At the same 
time one might see a thousand things 
springing from the same spirit — some 
astonishing, some laughable; the poor 
shoeing their oxen as we shoe horses, 
and harnessing them to two-wheeled 



74 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

carts, in which they placed their Httle 
stock of provisions and their young 
children, and proceeding onward, while 
the babes, at every town and castle 
they saw before them, demanded eagerly 
if that was Jerusalem." 

Long before the appointed time, the 
undisciplined crowds began to march 
towards Jerusalem. Men, women and 
children from different nations, encum- 
bered with baggage, and without a 
definite plan to guide them, passed on 
towards the East. Robbers, murderers, 
and all sorts of criminals joined the 
bands of Crusaders as tliey marched 
along, resolved to purchase by their 
services in the Holy Laud that salva- 
tion which their crimes had made them 
despair of till now. Europe was fairly 
drained of its dregs — its most dissolute 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 75 

and unprincipled inhabitanis. A portion 
of these ill-regulated hosts, under the 
command of Walter the Pennyless — a 
brave but indigent Knight, pressed on 
through Germany and Hungary to 
Constantinople, where, after having suf- 
fered inconceivable misery, and being 
greatly wasted by famine and the 
sword they at length arrived. 

The remainder — a still more motley 
crowd, under the direction of Peter the 
Hermit, followed on. Being under no 
restraint, and having no provisions^ they 
gave themselves up to indiscriminate 
pillage, and to the exhibition of the 
most brutal passions. Indignant at their 
atrocities, the inhabitants of the coun- 
tries they were wasting, attacked, rout- 
ed them, and destroyed a vast multitude. 
The remnant, after enduring great fa- 



76 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

tigue, at length joined the host under 
Walter the Pennyless. 

Gottchalt— a German priest — with his 
banditti and another host from almost 
every country in Europe, without order 
and exhibiting continual evidences of 
the most frightful depravity, followed 
close after the Hermit. Being in a state 
of absolute poverty, as they swept 
through Germany, calling themselves 
soldiers of Jesus Christ, and declaring 
war against his enemies, they inhumanly 
fell upon the defenceless Jews, and 
perpetrated one of the most awful and 
unprovoked butcheries that Europe ever 
witnessed. In Bavaria alone, twelve 
thousand Jews were massacred, and 
many thousands in other provinces of 
Germany. 

Having suffered so much from the 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 77 

preceding crowds, the Hungarians de- 
termined not to grant a passage to any 
others through their country. They 
therefore fell upon this undisciplined 
herd at the river Danube, scattered and 
destroyed them with merciless fury, un- 
til the river flowed with blood, and its 
waters were concealed by the mangled 
corpses. 

Walter would have remained at Con- 
stantinople until the more disciplined 
troops reached that city, but pressed on 
by his half insane hosts, and by the 
entreaties of the Emperor Alexis, who 
was shocked by the riotous conduct of 
his new allies, and accompanied by the 
Hermit, he set out for Jerusalem. Not 
far from Nice, the capital of Bythinia, 
they were met by Soliman, the Turk- 
ish sultan ; and^ after a fierce struggle, 

7* 



78 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

the Christian forces were entirely rout- 
ed. Walter fell mortally wounded, and 
the Hermit escaped with but two or 
three thousand of this immense host. 

And thus probably, more than five 
hundred thousand lives had been lost, 
and no progress made towards the 
subjugation of Palestine. Even amid 
these dreadful scenes, the wisdom and 
mercy of God is clearly exhibited. This 
was one of the frightful explosions, that 
the dark elements of the heart have 
rendered necessary for the purification 
of the moral atmosphere. 
' Europe, buried in its deep darkness, 
was fast sinking into almost irremediable 
wickedness, like the world before the 
flood, or the dissolute inhabitants of the 
*' cities of the plain.'' Their crimes 
secured their own punishment. Under 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 79 

the overruling power of God, their in- 
human lusts were made to work out 
their own destruction. With rare ex- 
ceptions this immense multitude was 
composed of the most depraved and 
vicious inhabitants of Europe, drawn to 
this undertaking, either to expiate some 
fearful guilt, or for the gratification of 
the most unholy lusts. The gangrened 
members were removed, and Europe 
was measurably purified for the bright- 
er and nobler events that were to 
occur during the succeeding centuries. 



80 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 



CHAPTER VII. 

THE FIRST CRUSADE CONTINUED. 

The real Crusade. Godfrey of Bouillon. Alexis. Delay 
at Constantinople. Appearance of the army on the 
shores of the Hellespont. Peter the Hermit. The 
route of the army. Siege and conquest of Nice. 
Battle of Doryloeum. Improvidence of Crusaders. 
Siege of Antioch. Besieged in their turn. Spear 
with which Christ was crucified. Victory. Peter 
Barthelmy. 

All these previous movements had been 
without order or concert, and had end- 
ed in ruinous disasters. But now 
commenced the real Crusade. The 
choicest chivalry of Europe, commanded 
by her most noble Knights, under per- 
fect discipline, urged on by the purest 
motives to engage in one of the most 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 81 

justifiable wars that had been fought 
before their day — the relief of the de- 
fenceless, and the rescue of Europe 
from the advancing strides of the barbar- 
ous Turks — was now ready to take the 
field, their ranks unencumbered by the 
frantic crowds that had preceded them. 
Six noble chieftains, conducted as many 
difi'erent divisions, by various routes, 
to Constantinople, the appointed rendez- 
vous. The mirror of chivalry, the most 
distinguished man of his age, and the 
master spirit of the first Crusade, was 
Godfrey of Bouillon, who had risen 
from his sick bed to join this host, 
and had sold his lordship to raise the 
necessary money. He is thus described 
by Robert the monk, a contemporary ; 
" He was beautiful in countenance, tall 
in stature, agreeable in his discourse, 
admirable in his morals; and at the 



82 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

same time so gentle, that he seemed 
better fitted for the monk than for the 
Knight ; but when his enemies appeared 
before him and the combat approached, 
his soul became filled with mighty 
daring : like a lion he feared not for 
his person, and what shield, what 
buckler could resist the fall of his 
sword." Such was the future King of 
Jerusalem ; wise in counsel, mild in de- 
portment, unsurpassed in all the exer- 
cises of chivalry, undaunted in courage, 
humane and noble in the use of his 
victories, — when, with a large multitude 
of Knights and barons, with their 
hosts glittering in splendid armor, 
mounted upon superbly caparisoned 
steeds, he commenced his march to 
join his compeers in the capital of the 
Eastern Empire. 

Alexis, the Emperor, had requested 



THE FIEST CRUSADE. 83 

assistance against his Turkish foes from 
his brethren of the West, but he was 
unprepared for the undisciplined swarms, 
and the multitudinous hosts that came 
pouring into his capital from all parts 
of Europe. His fear of the Turks was 
lost in the terror excited by the vast 
influx into his territories of his mailed 
friends. Instead therefore of cooperating 
with them according to his agreement, 
his great object now was to rid him- 
self of their presence, at any sacrifice 
of principle or even of humanity. The 
.delay at Constantinople, caused by the 
temporizing character of the emperor, 
was peculiarly unfavorable to the inter- 
ests of the Crusaders. The leaders, 
through the intrigues of the court, be- 
came divided, and the soldiers were 
corrupted by the seductions of the most 
dissolute city in the world. 



84 THE FIRST CEUSADE. 

At length, the immense army of the 
cross, now numbering 600,000 fighting 
men, of whom 100,000 were mounted 
Knights, crossed the Hellespont and en- 
camped on the Asiatic soil. "It was 
literally a moving nation, in which all 
languages were spoken, and all costumes 
worn. There was the fair-haired son 
of the north, with broad, open fore- 
head, mild blue eyes, sanguine com- 
plexion, and large frame; there the 
dark-visaged southern, with his flashing 
glance and fiery soul ; there was the 
Knight in his armor, the priest in his 
robes, the foot-soldier in his tough jer- 
kin, the unkempt serf with his belt of 
rope. There were pawing horses, swear- 
ing grooms, carts full of provision 
sacks, groups of gossiping women, and 
crowds of merry children. Under the 
bright sun of Asia all was gaudy and 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 85 

brilliant. Spear points glittered, breast- 
plates and helmets gleamed ; thousands 
of targets displayed their painted glo- 
ries ; pennons of blue, purple and white, 
streamed from every tent, while heavier 
flags flapped their sullen folds ; and 
everywhere, on shield, flag, helmet, tu- 
nic, and coat of mail, was seen bla- 
zoned the holy sign of the red cross. 
Walking through all these, threading his 
way through groups of soldiers, and 
crowds of playing children, heedless of 
the looks cast upon him, and hearing 
not the oft-repeated bugle-blasts from all 
parts of the camp, might be seen a 
man of small stature, thin, emaciated, 
coarsely clad, with downcast face, wild, 
unsettled eye, and timid, nervous gait. 
It was the man who had created it all 
— Peter the Hermit. He had crossed 



86 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

from Constantinople with Godfrey of 
Bouillon ; and now walking once more 
upon the Asiatic soil, over the bones of 
those whom he had already led to per- 
ish there, he could look around and 
see in the hundreds of thousands of 
human beings who surrounded him, 
the creatures and implements of his 
own enthusiasm, the monster results of 
that grief and rage of soul, which filled 
him as, but a few short months before, 
he found himself creeping along, a sol- 
itary and derided pilgrim, in the streets 
of Jerusalem. His revenge was near ! 
He, a poor, and feeble monk, was 
about to hurl such a thunderbolt 
against the power of the Moslem as no 
potentate on earth had ever handled; 
these myriads of enthusiasts whom he 
had brought from their homes he would 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 87 

dash against the walls of Jerusalem; 
and every groan of his own spirit un- 
der Turkish insult would be repaid by 
the dying shrieks of a hundred infidels 
— every Turkish laugh at the expense 
of his religion by a huzza from the 
Christian armies. On — on, then, to the 
Holy City! 

Alas ! the Holy City was yet far 
distant. Not much more than half their 
journey, in point of space, had been 
accomplished; and in point of peril and 
'difficulty, their march had little more 
than begun ; for they had just entered 
upon the countries inhabited by the in- 
fidel. Months had to roll over, and 
many a bloody field had to be fought, 
ere the pinnacles of the Holy City 
should greet their longing eyes. 

They might have overrun all Asia 



88 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

with this large, well disciplined troop, 
but with the greatest difficulty, they 
accomplished the subjugation of Pales- 
tine. Their route lay in a south-east- 
erly direction through Asia Minor, and 
then southward towards Jerusalem, along 
the shores of the Levant. Their march 
from Constantinople, until the time they 
laid siege to Jerusalem occupied up- 
wards of two years ; from A. D. 1097 
to A. D. 1099. These were years of 
toil and distress such as the imagina- 
tion can hardly conceive. The first 
point of attack was Nice, the seat of 
Soliman the Turkish sultan. The siege 
of this city lasted a month and a half 
and was of the most desperate charac- 
ter. " During these six weeks the 
slaughter of Christians by the arrows 
of the Turkish garrison, and the bolts 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 89 

and large stones which they discharged 
from mangonels and catapults, was im- 
mense. Nothing was to be seen on 
the highways, in the woods and the 
fields, but a crowd of tombs, where 
the Christians lay buried." The city 
at length was taken, and the army 
wheeled on towards Antioch. Having 
unfortunately, separated into two bands, 
while the smaller division was passing 
through Doryloeum, Soliman, with an 
immense host was seen upon the neigh- 
boring hills. As they hastily prepared 
for defence, the whole body of 200,000 
Turks, with their cimiters flashing in 
the sun, raising a stunning shout, 
rushed down upon them. For hours 
the Christian hosts sustained the un- 
equal contest — but oppressed with the 
intense heat, and with burning thirst, 

8* 



90 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

wounded with the arrows of the 
Arabian bowmen, they were just ready 
to despair, when a cloud of dust arose 
upon the distant hills. Then appeared 
the glittering helmets and floating pen- 
nons of the Knights ; deliverance was 
at hand. "God wills it!" shouted the 
Crusaders as they came pouring down 
the heights. "God wills it!" shouted 
the despairing soldiers in the vale, and 
returned again to the conflict. The 
Turks were entirely routed, immense 
numbers slain, and their rich camp 
was taken. 

Thoughtless of the future, the army 
gave themselves up to the enjoyment 
of the abundant booty, and foolishly 
scattered provisions for which they 
eventually suifered inconceivably. In 
their march towards Antiochj they were 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 91 

preceded by bands of the enemy, who 
destroyed every article of sustenance ; 
and not being able to find water a 
frightful famine occurred, carrying off 
thousands of men and horses. After 
intense sufferings and unfortunate divi- 
sions the remainder of the army defiled 
under the walls of Antioch, and com- 
menced its siege. For seven months 
they fought against this ancient city, 
but its lofty walls and fortresses were 
impregnable. At length through the 
treachery of a renegade Armenian, they 
•obtained an entrance, and devoted the 
unfortunate inhabitants to an indiscrim- 
inate massacre. Their rejoicing over 
this conquest however, was but of 
short duration. The King of Persia, at 
the news of the progress of the crusa- 
ders, raised an immense army to op» 



92 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

pose them. Three hundred thousand 
men under the Emir of Mosul, a fa- 
vorite of the Cahf, set down before 
Antiochj and besieged the Christian 
forces within its walls. No language 
can describe the horrors that the army 
of the cross suffered, while enclosed in 
the walls of this city, almost destitute 
of provisions. " The most noisome ani- 
mals, the most unsavory herbs, became 
dainties at the table of the great. All 
sorts of vice became rife, and debauch- 
ery grew the more horrid, from being 
the debauchery of despair." At length 
a "pious fraud," for which the Romish 
Church is so celebrated, was made the 
instrument of their deliverance from 
this dreadful extremity. A priest pre- 
tended to have received from St. An- 
drew, in a vision, information that in a 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 93 

certain place in the Church of St. Peter 
in Antioch, the spear-head, with which 
the Saviour's side had been pierced, 
would be found ; and that, with this, 
the army might go forth against their 
numerous foes with a certain assurance 
of victory. 

" There were various opinions as to 
the propriety of believing in the priest's 
story so far as to search for the lance; 
at length however the sceptics, among 
whom was Adhemar, bishop of Puy, 
yielded to the general voice, and it was 
jesolved to dig for the relic. Twelve 
persons were chosen to conduct the 
search within the chapel, while the 
multitude remained anxiously without. 
A whole day was spent in vain ; the 
workmen were tired out, and still no 
lance was found. It was evening, 



94 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

when Peter Barthelmy, the priest who 
had seen the vision, descended into the 
pit, and began to rake the loose earth. 
Who so likely to discover the relic, as 
the man who had dreamt of hi Still 
Peter raked the earth at the bottom of 
the pit, and the men who had for 
some time hmig over to look down at 
him, had lost all hope of his success, 
and began to move away, when all at 
once a cry of joy was heard, and 
stretching himself to his full height, 
Peter handed up into the eager fingers 
of those above, an actual rusty lance- 
head," 

The enthusiasm of the superstitious, 
half-famished multitude kindled anew. 
Although but two hundred of the Knights 
were regularly mounted^ and every sol- 
dier was wasted to a shadow, still in- 



THE FIRST CRUSADE. 95 

spired by this new spirit, all was life 
and hope throughout the lately forlorn 
ranks. 

The gates were opened — out rushed 
the Christian host, bearing aloft the 
miraculous spear, against their invaders, 
now swelled to six hundred thousand. 
Nothing could stand against their fran- 
tic courage. The Persians fought brave- 
ly, but in vain. In the height of the 
contest, before the heated imaginations 
of the army, there seemed to appear 
figures in white raiment, mounted upon 
-milky steeds, hastening on from the 
mountains to their aid. "God wills 
it!" "God wills it!" again and again 
they shouted, and pressed on with an 
overpowering enthusiasm, until the Per- 
sian ranks were broken, and they fled 
in all directions, leaving their well- stored 



96 THE FIRST CRUSADE. 

camp, a most acceptable prize, to their 
starving conquerors. Poor Peter Barthel- 
my now received a sad return for his 
wonderful dream; for many of the cru- 
saders beginning to call in question the 
genuineness of the spear-head, he was 
prevailed upon to test it, by passing 
with it through the flames. A great 
fire was kindled in the sight of the 
army, and Peter, with the lance in his 
hands, walked into the flames, when 
becoming frightened, he was burnt to 
death. This destroyed the credit of the 
relic with all but the most super- 
stitious. 



SIEGE OF JERUSALEM. 9T 



CHAPTER YIII. 

THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OE JERUSALEM. 

The march to Jerusalem. Emotions excited. Tasso. 
Siege of Jerusalem. Its capture. Butchery of the 
Turks. Penitential visit to the Sepulchre. Godfrey 
of Bouillon elected Ejbag of Jerusalem. Language and 
government. 

Aftee a short delay in Antioch to re- 
cruit their strength, they again com- 
menced their march towards Jerusalem. 
Each day as they drew nearer the ter- 
mination of their long journey, some 
new name connected with the history of 
their religion served to increase the 
emotion that v/as now becoming intense 
in their hearts. The last night be- 
fore reaching Jerusalem, the thought of 



98 SIEGE AND CAPTURE 

being so near the scene of Christ's cru- 
cifixion, prevented any sleep in the 
camp. Before midnight they were on 
the march ; and after wandering a while 
in the dark, the sun rushed into the 
sky with the glorious suddenness of an 
Eastern dawn, and Jerusalem lay before 
their eyes. The dangers of their long 
march were forgotten, the bitter con- 
flicts they had fought and were yet to 
fight, their dreadful sufferings from fam- 
ine and the plague were no longer in 
their minds. There before them lay 
the end of their hopes, the object of 
their great exertion, the scene of most 
that was dear and holy in their faith. 
" The name was echoed by a thousand 
tongues, Jerusalem ! Jerusalem ! Some 
shouted to the sky; some knelt and 
prayed; some wept in silence, and some 
cast themselves down and kissed the 



OP JERUSALEM. 99 

blessed earth. ' All had much ado,' 
says Fuller, ' to manage so great glad- 
ness.' " Thus, in living verse has the 
poet Tasso portrayed the overwhelming 
emotions of this hour : 

" With holy zeal their swelling hearts ' abound, 

And their winged-footsteps scarcely print the ground, 

When now the sun ascends the etherial way, 

And strikes the dusty field with warmer ray; 

Behold, Jerusalem in prospect lies ! 

Behold, Jerusalem salutes their eyes ! 

At once a thousand tongues repeat the name, 

. And hail Jerusalem with loud acclaim! 
At first, transported with the pleasing sight, 

. Each Christian bosom glowed with full delight; 
But deep contrition soon their joy suppressed, 
And holy sorrow saddened every breast ; 
Scarce dare their eyes the city walls survey. 
Where clothed in fiesh, their dear Redeemer lay, 
Whose sacred earth did once their Lord enclose, 
And where triumphant from the grave he rose ! 
Each faltering tongue imperfect speech supplies ; 
Each laboring bosom heaves with frequent sighs. 
Each took the example as their Chieftain led, 



100 SIEGE AND CAPTURE 

With naked feet the hallowed soil they tread: 
Each throws his martial ornaments aside, 
The crested helmets with their plumy pride: 
To humble thoughts their lofty hearts they bend, 
And down their cheeks the pious tears descend." 

For two months the army of the Cross, 
now attenuated to thirty-five thousand, 
fought incessantly and in vain, beneath 
the soUd castellated walls of Jerusalem. 

Fearing that the anger of heaven might 
be hanging over them on account of their 
crimes, Chieftains, Soldiers, and Clergy, 
with naked feet, bearing aloft the Cross, 
marched in solemn procession around 
the walls, like the priests and people 
around ancient Jericho. And as they 
marched, amid the scoffs of the Infidels, 
they shouted forth their heart-inspiring 
war-cry, " God wills it," and filled the 
air with the melody of hymns and 
psalms. On Olivet and Zion they humbly 



OF JERUSALEM. 101 

kneeled and sought assistance for the 
succeeding day's conflict. 

At dawn the struggle commenced 
anew, and at noon the fate of the day- 
was still undecided; and when all was 
considered lost, a single Knight was 
seen upon Mount Olivet waving his 
glittering spear, and bidding them on 
again to the contest. On they rushed, 
and in one hour the barbacan was 
broken down, Godfrey's tower was 
pressed against the inner wall, and at 
three o'clock, the hour when the world's 
Saviour was crucified, two soldiers, fol- 
lowed by Godfrey, leaped upon the 
fortifications. The hosts of the Cross 
pressed on, while the wearied Turks 
gave way. The city was theirs, and 
the banner of the Cross floated out 
from the battlements of Jerusalem, 

Now commenced one of the most 



102 SIEGE AND CAPTURE 

frightful butcheries that history has re- 
corded. Blood poured in torrents down 
the streets — the victors boasted, that in 
the Mosque of Omar they rode in the 
blood of Saracens up to their horses' 
knees. Then washing off the gore of 
battle, leaders and people, as if hav- 
ing offered a meritorious sacrifice to 
heaven, with naked feet and bended 
knees, approached the Sepulchre of the 
Prince of Peace ! sang anthems to that 
Redeemer who had purchased their 
salvation with his death; and, while 
dead to the calamities of their fellow 
men they were dissolved in tears at the 
remembrance of the sufferings of the 
Messiah ! 

Eight days after the capture of the 
city, the Latin Chiefs unanimously elected 
Godfrey of Bouillon King of Jerusalem, 



OF JERUSALEM. 103 

the army welcoming the announcement 
with enthusiastic applause. 

A new Christian state was thus founded 
in Syria, consisting, at first, of little more 
than Jerusalem ; but which, after sub- 
sequent battles, embraced the whole of 
Palestine. 

The Norman French language was 
spoken in the new Kingdom, and a 
code of feudal laws was drawn up for 
its government. 

Jerusalem was erected into a Patri- 
archate, and Bethlehem into a bishop- 
ric, and thus the clergy obtained their 
share of the conquest. 

Thus ended the first Crusade, the 
most important of all, crowned indeed 
with success, but at what expense of 
blood and suffering ! 



104 PALESTINE UNDER 



CHAPTER IX. 

PALESTINE UNDER THE CRUSADERS — THE 
SECOND CRUSADE. 

Palestine under the Crusaders. The second Crusade. 
Death of Godfrey. Baldwin II. Fulk of Anjou. 
Baldwin HI. Extension of Kingdom. Immense num- 
ber of Pilgrims. Origin of the order of Hospitallers. 
Of the Templars. Antioch. Edessa. Its Conquest by 
the Emir of Aleppo. Cause of second Crusade. St. 
Bernard. Louis of France and Conrad of Germany. 
Failure of the Crusade. 

Godfrey of Bouillon died in July 1100, 
and was succeeded by his brother 
Baldwin, who reigned eighteen years, 
and was in turn, succeeded by Bald- 
win II., also one of the original Cru- 
saders. Fulk of Anjou became king in 



THE CRUSADERS. 105 

1131, and was succeeded by his son, 
Baldwin III., in 1148. 

These kings were continually engaged 
in conflicts with the Saracens, over 
whom they gained repeated victories. 
The Mohammedan towns and villages 
throughout the Holy Land submitted, 
one after another, purchasing the pro- 
tection and toleration of the Latin sov- 
ereigns by the payment of tribute. 

Pilgrims by thousands now began to 
pour in from Europe, affording aid and 
securing stability to the new Kingdom. 
.No fewer than 500,000 persons set out 
from Europe to Syria, incited by the 
news of the success of the first Cru- 
sade; and year after year fresh ac- 
cessions were made to the population of 
Jerusalem, Antioch, and Edessa, by the ar- 
rival of bands of soldiers, priests, and mer- 



106 PALESTINE UNDER 

chants from the different countries of 
Europe. These three cities were the 
centres from which the Christian power 
sought to spread itself throughout the 
possessions of the Saracens, and these 
cities soon became the capitals of dis- 
tinct and independent principalities. 

A hospital had been founded in Je- 
rusalem for the relief of Pilgrims, to 
which a monastery dedicated to St. 
John had been attached, the monks of 
which made it their business to attend 
to poor and sick Pilgrims. This estab- 
lishment had survived all the Turkish 
persecutions, and became in those days 
of suffering and persecution a most val- 
uable institution for the Christians who 
visited Jerusalem. On the advance of 
the Crusading army, the monks of St. 
John, along with the principal Christians 
of the city, were thrown into prison. 



THE CRUSADERS. 107 

Being released upon the capture of 
Jerusalem, the monks rewarded their 
benefactors by showing the utmost at- 
tention to the wounded Crusaders. 

For these pious services certain val- 
uable endowments and immunities were 
conferred upon them by Godfrey of 
Bouillon. The Hospitallers of Jerusalem 
(as they were afterwards called) there- 
fore became rich and famous, and monas-= 
tic institutions bearing their name were 
founded in various cities of Europe. 
"On the death of their Abbot, a French- 
man named Gerard, in 1118, a Crusa- 
der named Raimond Dupuy, who had 
been wounded at the siege of Jerusa- 
lem, and had experienced the benefits 
of the hospital, was chosen his suc- 
cessor. Raimond, continuing his old 
profession of a soldier with his new 



108 PALESTINE UNDER 

duties as head of an ecclesiastical cor- 
poration, conceived the idea of chang- 
ing the monks Hospitallers into a 
military body. The order of the 
Knights Hospitallers of St. John was 
accordingly founded; the declared objects 
of the institution being to make war 
upon the infidels, and to afford relief and 
comfort to Pilgrims to the Holy Land. 
The origin of the Knights Templars 
was not very dissimilar. Even after 
the conquest of Palestine by the Cru- 
saders, Pilgrims from Europe were fre- 
quently plundered by the Turks, when 
on their way to Jerusalem. To defend 
travelers from the attacks of these roving 
bands of Infidels, some French Knights 
who had taken part in the first Crusade, 
formed an Association of a religious 
character, abjuring worldly possessions, 



THE CRUSADERS. 109 

vowing implicit obedience to their 
elected Chief, and renouncing every end 
of life except the defence of the Christ- 
ian faith against the Infidel. The 
nine Knights who were the first mem- 
bers of the Association had quarters 
assigned them in Jerusalem near the 
temple ; hence the name of the order." 

Antioch in Syria, which was the first 
city conquered by the Crusaders, had 
been conferred upon Bohemond of Ta- 
rentum; he was succeeded by Tancred, 
the gentlest and most chivalrous of all 
the Crusaders, who two years after was 
removed by death. Eventually, the sov- 
ereignty of Antioch came into the hands 
of the Greek Emperor, John Comnenus, 
who had succeeded Alexius. 

Edessa was a city of Mesopotamia, 
and upon its conquest by the Crusaders, 

10 



110 THE SECOND CRUSADE. 

it was given to Baldwin, the brother 
of Godfrey of Bouillon; who being after- 
wards transferred to the principality of 
Jerusalem, left Edessa to Joscelyn de 
Courtenay, a distinguished Crusader. 
His son, however, lacked capacity to 
sustain the honor that devolved upon 
him at the death of his father. In 
1144, the Emir of Aleppo and Mosul, 
a brave and able Turk, who had al- 
ready given proofs of his prowess, ad- 
vanced against Edessa while its effemin- 
ate prince was amusing himself on the 
other side of the Euphrates, and, after 
a siege of eighteen days, effected an 
entrance, and made himself master of 
the city with immense slaughter of the 
inhabitants. 

The capture of this city was the 
cause of what was called the Second 



THE SECOND CRUSADE. Ill 

Crusade. It had been fifty years since 
the first Crusaders had entered Syria 
and the heroes of those early con- 
quests were now sleeping in their 
tombs. 

Persecution was no longer known. 
An immense Christian population had 
poured into Palestine, and settled down 
quietly in her cities and villages ; and 
the Mohammedan population were sub- 
dued and harniless. The news of the 
fall of Edessa by the Turks, therefore, 
'fell upon the ears of the Christian world 
like a clap of thunder. The petitions of 
the people of Palestine addressed to 
their brethren in Europe for aid against 
the encroachments of the Turks, pro- 
duced a great sensation especially in 
France. Another priest, like the Hermit, 
the famous St. Bernard, abbot of Clair- 



112 THE SECOND CRUSADE. 

voux, in Champagne, being commis- 
sioned by Pope Eugenius, traveled 
throughout France and Germany, ex- 
erting his remarkable powers of elo- 
quence to raise another army of the 
cross. 

" The Chiefs of the Second Crusade 
were two of the most powerful princes 
of Europe — Louis VII., King of France; 
and Conrad III., emperor of Germany. 
Under their command upwards of 
1,200,000 collected from all parts of 
Europe, marched towards Palestine in 
two great armies early in 1147. Not- 
withstanding the vaslness of the pre- 
parations, the expedition was a total 
failure. The events of the last fifty 
years had rendered the policy of the 
Greek princes hostile to the Crusaders. 
Manuel Comnenus, the grandson of 



THE SECOND CRUSADE. 113 

Alexius, who now occupied the throne, 
suffered both armies to pass into Asia 
Minor, where purposely misled by the 
Greek scouts, the army of Conrad was 
all but destroyed by the Turks near 
Iconium ; while the army of Louis, 
after undergoing infinite hardships, was 
wrecked in the defiles of the Pisidian 
mountains. The relics of the two 
armies uniting made their way to 
Syria, where they cooperated with the 
forces of the princes of Jerusalem and 
Antioch, in laying siege to Damascus ; 
but without effect, being compelled by 
the activity of Saphaddin and Noured- 
din, the two sons of the Emir Lenghi, 
who had taken Edessa, to raise the 
siege. In 1149 Conrad and Louis re- 
turned to Europe and the Second Cru- 
sade was at an end, having resulted 

10* 



114 THE SECOND CEUSADE. 

in nothing more then the useless ex- 
penditure of more than a million lives. 
Hundreds of poor Pilgrims, who had 
accompanied the armies with the in- 
tention of visiting the Holy Sepulchre, 
were left to languish in Turkish cap- 
tivity." 



SALADIN. 115 



CHAPTER X. 

SALADIN— RECONQUEST OF JERUSALEM. 

Almeric. Noureddin. Rise of Saladin. Plots for the 
Conquest of Syria and Palestine. Troubles in Jeru- 
salem. Raimond Count of Tripoli. Guy de Lusignan. 
Saladin Conquers at Tiberias. Captures Jerusalem and 
the whole Country. Third Crusade. Archbishop of 
Tyre. Death of Urban. Gregory VIII. Frederick of 
Germany. Richard of England. Augustus of France. 
Death of Frederick. Siege of Acre. Peace concludes 

' with Saladin. 

Forty years elapsed before another 
Crusade was undertaken by Europe. 
During this period the struggle between 
the Christians and Turks went on with- 
out intermission in Syria. At this time 
(1162) Almeric succeed Baldwin III. as 
king of Jerusalem. His chief opponent 



116 SALADIN. 

and rival was Noureddin, the sultan of 
Aleppo, a valiant and active Turk who 
gave him no small trouble to preserve 
the integrity of his principality. 

At this time a new and remarkable 
rival to both arose. Palestine, as we 
have seen, had been conquered by the 
Saracens of Egypt before the inroads 
of the TurkS; and between the 
latter and the Fatimites of Egypt, as 
they were called, there had been con- 
tinued struggles until the first Crusade 
brought into Palestine an enemy to 
both, and for the destruction of whom 
both had united their forces. 

For fifty years, however, the Christian 
power had maintained and extended 
itself at the expense both of the Turks 
and the Fatimites. The Fatimite dy- 
nasty of Egypt had long been showing 



SALADIN. 117 

symptoms of decay, the Caliphs having 
become mere tools in the hands of 
their Viziers and high military officers. 
In 1163, one of the viziers, named 
Shawer, finding himself expelled from 
his post by a rival, sought refuge at 
the court of the sultan of Aleppo, from 
whom he asked assistance. Noureddin 
a Turk, and therefore, the hereditary 
enemy of the Fatimites, eagerly em- 
braced the opportunity of obtaining a 
footing in Egypt, he therefore sent two 
Curdish adventurers to assist in displac- 
ing the rival vizier. The attempt suc- 
ceeded; but Shawer, after recovering 
his position, proving treacherous to his 
new friends he paid the penalty of his 
head, and Chyrkouh, the nephew of 
Noureddin, who had been sent to the 
assistance of the treacherous vizier, was 



118 SALADIN. 

appointed to the same office, in reality 
becoming a lieutenant of Noureddin. 
Upon his death in 1169, his nephew 
Saladin was appointed to the viziership; 
the Egyptian Caliph imagining that 
with such a vizier as the young and 
pleasure-loving Chief he might again 
have some power in his own domin- 
ions. ''Saladin, however, was no or- 
dinary character; his daring mind soon 
gave him the supremacy; and instructed 
by Noureddin, whose lieutenant he ac- 
knowledged himself to be, he effected 
a revolution in Egypt, declared the 
Fatimite dynasty at an end, subjected 
the country once more to the nominal 
authority of the Caliph of Bagdad, the 
head of the other division of the Mo- 
hammedan power, and whom Noureddin 
professed to reverence. Nor did he 



SALADIN. 119 

Stop here. Once lord of Egypt, he 
showed a disposition to shake off his 
allegiance to Noureddin ; and the sultan 
of Egypt was making preparations to 
vindicate his authority, when he was 
cut oiF by death in the year 1171." 

No obstacle now appeared in the way 
of the young and energetic conqueror. 
The situation of the Christian power 
at this time also favored the plans of 
the Saracen. In 1173, Almeric died, 
and was succeeded by his son Baldwin 
IV., who was a leper, and reigned but 
.a short time. His nephew who was 
his successor being a minor, before his 
death, Baldwin appointed his uncle 
Raymond II. Count of Tripoli, to be 
regent during his minority. 

The youth dying soon after his uncle, 
the utmost confusion followed. Guy de 



120 SALADIN. 

Lusignan and his wife Sybilla, the 
uncle and aunt of the deceased young 
prince, usurped the throne with the 
assistance of a large party, including 
the patriarch of Jerusalem, the Grand 
Master of the Templars, and other in- 
fluential men; while, on the other hand, 
their claims were disputed by another 
strong party, at the head of which 
were the Count of Tripoli and the 
Grand-Master of the Hospitallers. This 
was Saladin's opportunity; he had dis- 
covered the contention in the court of 
his Christian neighbors, and having 
made himself master of Syria, he re- 
solved upon the Conquest of Palestine. 
" Brave, daring, experienced, and a 
resolute enemy of the Christians, Mo- 
hammedanism had as yet produced no 
Chief so fitted to be its champion against 



SALADIN. 121 

the chivalry of Christendom as Saladin 
appeared to be. Accordingly, when in 
the year 1187, it was known that he 
was on his march against Jerusalem 
with an army of 50,000 horse and a vast 
multitude of foot, the Christian leaders 
saw the necessity of abandoning their 
dissensions, and uniting cordially against 
the invader. 

Their exertions, however, were in vain. 
Assisted, it is said, by the treachery of 
the Count of Tripoli, Saladin gained a 
Victory over their army at Tiberias, 
killing an immense number of the 
Latins, and taking the king, the Grand- 
Master of the Templars, and many 
other persons of distinction, prisoners. 
Town after town surrendered to the 
victorious Saracen; and in October 1187, 
Jerusalem itself, after fourteen days' 



122 SALADIN. 

defence, was obliged to submit to his 
mercy. The conduct of Saladin on this 
occasion was more generous than might 
have been expected. A moderate ran- 
som was fixed for every individual in 
the population, on the payment of 
which, he should be at liberty to 
remove with his goods to whatever 
place he chose. To the prisoners of 
rank, especially the Christian Ladies, 
Saladin's conduct was courteous in the 
extreme ; so that it became a remark 
among the Latins of Palestine that 
Saladin was a barbarian only in name. 

Nevertheless the Moslems displayed 
their sense of triumph in manifestations 
which grieved and shocked the feelings 
of the vanquished. 

The great cross erected by the church 
of the Holy Sepulchre was taken down^ 



RBCONQUEST OF JERUSALEM. 123 

and dragged in contempt through the 
streets; the bells of the churches were 
melted ; and the mosque of Omar was 
purified from the pollutions to which, in 
the opinion of the Mohammedans, it had 
been subjected, by copious sprinklings 
of the walls and floor with the rose- 
water of Damascus. Thus after ninety 
years, was the Holy City again in- 
habited by the infidel, and all .the 
fruits of the first Crusade lost, as it 
seemed, to the world. The title of 
king of Jerusalem was solemnly abdi- 
cated by Guy de Lusignan in favor of 
the conqueror, who now possessed the 
whole of Palestine, with the single ex- 
ception of the city of Tyre, which 
was gallantly defended by Conrad, 
Marquis of Montferrat." 
Appalling indeed was this intelligence 



124 RECONQUEST OF 

to Christian Europe. The bearer of it, 
and the moving spirit in the third Cru- 
sade was William, archbishop of Tyre, 
who with a heart full of grief, left his 
see, and proceeded to Rome to seek aid 
against the Saracen. The news of this 
calamity is said to have caused the 
death of Urban IV. His successor, 
Gregory YIIL, gave all his influence at 
once to the cause ; and to meet the ex- 
penses of the enterprise he imposed a 
tax on all classes, including even the 
clergy, to the amount of one tenth of 
their property, landed or personal. The 
principal princes of Europe eagerly 
rushed to the rescue, and Frederick I. 
of Germany, Philip-Augustus of France, 
and Richard I. of England immediately 
announced their intention of leading ar- 
mies to Palestine. Other lesser poten- 
tates followed their example. 



JERUSALEM. 125 

The German emperor was the first 
in the field, and at the head of a 
magnificent army in the spring of 1189 
fought his way through the Greek do- 
minion, (the emperor of which had be- 
come inimical to these movements) and 
entered Asia Minor. He was already 
upon the borders of Palestine, when im- 
prudently bathing in the river Orontes, 
he was suddenly cut off in the seven- 
tieth year of his age. His son, the 
Duke of Suabia took the lead of the 
army and although greatly harassed by 
the Saracens, he succeeded in reaching 
the Christian forces in Syria, where his 
army afforded a powerful reinforcement. 
The combined army of the cross, now 
laid siege to Acre on the sea coast — 
a town of so much importance that its 
possession was considered equivalent to 

being master of the whole country. 
11* 



126 RECONQUEST OF 

Here were now gathered all the re- 
maming Christian forces of Palestine, 
the German army and bodies of sol- 
diers which had come from the West, 
the English and French Kings not 
having yet reached Syria, Guy de Lu- 
signan was the leader of the forces and 
for twenty-two months the siege was 
closely followed, and many engagements 
took place between Saladin, whose ar- 
my hung around them, and the Christ- 
ian army, without any visible advantage 
on either side. 

In the summer of 1191 the French 
and English monarchs arrived with 
their fleets. 

"And now,'^ says Mr. James, "all 
the chivalry of Europe were upon the 
sandy plain between Acre and the 
mountains of Carouba, the Templars, 



JERUSALEM. 127 

the Hospitallers, the Knights of Francej 
of England, of Germany, of Italy, of 
Flanders, and of Burgundy. On the 
inland hills lay the millions of Saladin, 
with every accessory of eastern pomp 
and luxury. 

On the 12th of July 1191, Acre sur- 
rendered, and, had the Christian hosts 
been united they might have pressed 
on, and conquered without doubt, the 
whole of Palestine. The rivalry of the 
French and English Kings however, 
prevented this end, and not long after 
the capture of Acre, PhiUp of France 
returned to Europe. Richard, called 
Coeur de Leon, then led the Christian 
forces against Saladin, with great suc- 
cess, earning for himself the reputation 
of one of the most valiant Knights of 
the age. A dispute arising between 



128 RECONQUEST OF 

Richard and the other leaders, and his 
presence becoming necessary in England, 
he conckided an honorable peace with 
Saladin. At a personal interview be- 
tween Richard and Saladin the usual 
oaths attending a treaty were omitted, 
and both, as a pledge of fidelity, 
grasped each other's hands. A truce 
was agreed upon for three years and 
eight months. Jaffa and Tyre, with 
the country between them were surren- 
dered to the Christians, and the people 
of the west were permitted to make 
pilgrimages to Jerusalem, exempt from 
the taxes which the Saracen princes 
had, in former times imposed. Estab- 
lishments of priests were even admitted 
in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Nazareth. 
And now, the crusading army re- 
turned to Europe. Richard on his way 



JERUSALEM. 129 

through the Austrian dominions, was 
arrested by his enemy and former fel- 
low Crusader, the Archduke, and im- 
prisoned near Vienna, for several months. 
He returned to England in March 
1194, and died in 1199. His great an- 
tagonist, Saladin, died in 1193, in the 
fifty-seventh year of his age. 



130 REMAINING CRUSADES. 



CHAPTER XI. 

THE REMAINING CRUSADES. 

The effect of the third Crusade. Struggles in the East. 
Fourth Crusade. Innocent III. Conquest of the Greek 
empire by the Crusaders. Fifth Crusade. Sixth 
Crusade. Capture of Louis of France. Seventh 
Crusade. Conquest of Palestine by the Saracens. 
Its history to the present time. 

The third Crusade, although promising 
much, as we have seen, accomplished 
nothing. The Christian Kingdom in 
Palestine now embraced but a narrow 
strip of land on the Mediterranean 
coast. The successor of Saladin com- 
menced hostilities against the Christians 
and they turned again to Europe for 
assistance, and, although no general 



REMAINING CEUSADES. 131 

movement was made, bodies of adven- 
turers and single Knights were continu- 
ally rushing to this sacred soil to 
expiate their sins in fighting, as they 
esteemed it, for their Saviour's sepul- 
chre. 

In 1203, the fourth Crusade, under 
the auspices of Pope Innocent III. was 
undertaken, the army being commanded, 
by several of the most powerful nobles 
in Italy and Prance. Instead of march- 
ing at once against the Saracens, they 
allowed themselves to be drawn into a 
contest with the Greek empire. "The 
Greek emperor, Imac Angelus, having 
been deposed and deprived of his eyes 
by his own brother, his son Alexius 
fled to Europe, and petitioned for the 
assistance of the Latin princes against 
the usurper, promising in return to use 



132 KEMAINING CRUSADES. 

his endeavors to promote an incorpora- 
tion of the Greek with the Latin 
church, and to employ all the resourc- 
es of the Greek empire against the in- 
fidels of Syria. The temptation of such 
a prospect could not he resisted ; the 
Crusaders marched into Greece, took 
Constantinople, and established them- 
selves so thoroughly in the empire, that 
for fifty years it was ruled over by the 
Franks. The whole force of the fourth 
Crusade was therefore spent on an ob- 
ject foreign to that for which it had 
been levied." 

The fifth Crusade began in 1228, and 
was commanded by Frederick II. of 
Germany. It resulted in an entire re- 
lease of Palestine by the sultan of 
Egypt, in return for the alliance and 
friendship of the German monarch. 



REMAINING CRUSADES. 133 

Frederick having been crowned King of 
Jerusalem returned again to Europe. 

In 1244, a new race of Turks 
poured in upon the Holy Land, and 
effected its conquest. The sixth Crusade 
was undertaken by Louis IX. of France. 
This terminated in the utter defeat of 
the crusading army, and in the capture 
of Louis himself by the sultan of 
Egypt. By the payment of a large 
ransom the French King obtained his 
own release, and that of the other 
prisoners, and returned to Europe re- 
joicing that be had been accounted 
worthy of suffering in so good a cause. 
For his piety he was canonized, and 
is styled by Catholic writers, St. Louis. 
Sixteen years afterwards, he resolved 
upon a second Crusade, and actually 
set out for the Holy Land; but landing 

12 



134 REMAiNma crusades. 

in Africa, on his route, he died at 
Tunis, in the year 1270. 

The seventh and last general Crusade 
was headed by Prince Edward of Eng- 
land, grandson of Richard Coeur de 
Leon, who afterwards ascended the 
English throne, as Edward I. His 
rank and reputation in arms gathered 
around him all who were willing to 
fight for the cross. Nothing of mo- 
ment however, was accomplished in 
Palestine, and he returned again to 
Europe. " Acre, Antioch and Tripoli 
still continued in the possession of the 
Christians, and were defended some 
time by the Templars and other mili- 
tary Knights; but in 1291 Acre capitu- 
lated, — the other towns soon followed 
the example, and the Knights were 
glad to quit the country and disperse 



REMAINING CRUSADES. 135 

themselves over Europe, in quest of 
new employment, leaving Palestine to 
the undisturbed possession of the Sara- 
cens. 

For two centuries and a half after 
the last Crusade, Palestine continued 
with one or two interruptions to be 
governed by the Mameluke sultans of 
Egypt. Early in the sixteenth century, 
however, it was recovered by the 
Turkish sultan, Selim, under whose 
successors it remained for three centu- 
ries, divided like the other territories 
into provinces, each governed by a 
Pasha. In 1799 Palestine was invaded 
by the French forces under Napoleon 
Bonaparte; the famous Acre was again 
besieged, but without effect, the French 
troops being defeated by the British 
and Turks under Sir Sydney Smith. 



136 REMAINING CRUSADES. 

Syria and Palestine were wrested, in 
1832, from the government of the 
Grand Seignior by Ibrahim Pacha, the 
son of Mehemet Ali, and the late 
ruler of Egypt; but in 1840 the Eu- 
ropean powers compelled their restora- 
tion; and, at present the country, for 
which the chivalry of Europe contended 
for two centuries, has scarcely any 
government at all." 



RESULTS OF CRUSADES. 137 



CHAPTEE XII. 

THE RESULTS OP THE CRUSADES. 

Effects of the Crusades upon European politics. Upon 
religion. Turkish power broken. Other political bless- 
ings. Arts and sciences obtained from the Saracens. 
Commerce, Poetry. Modern languages and literature. 
New world. Art of printing. Reformation. 

We have now given a rapid sketch of 
an undertaking that exhausted for cen- 
turies, the energies of Europe, and 
ended apparently, in utter disaster. It 
becomes a very interesting question : 
has Europe — has the world received any 
sufficient recompense for these enormous 
sacrifices? Has modern society been in 
any degree improved or benefited by 
these vast movements. 



138 RESULTS OP 

We are prepared to answer, all this 
was not in vain. They sowed the 
seed in blood, and we are the reapers 
of the harvest. These sanguinary strug- 
gles decided that momentous political 
question, whether Europe should be 
free or enslaved ; whether she should 
writhe under the bloody despotism of 
the Turk, or be permitted to rise under 
happier auspices to her present . enlight- 
ened state; whether her rich and fertile 
vales, her thousand cities and villages 
should be overwhelmed with the desola- 
tions that marked the progress of the 
Turkoman over Asia; whether the burn- 
ing, the sacrilege and butchery exhibited 
on the classic fields of Greece when the 
crescent arose amid the flames of Scio, 
and the curse of the Turk was ming- 
led with the death-wails of age, youth 
and infancy, should be enacted over 



THE CRUSADES. 139 

again upon every fair scene in Europe. 
A still greater question than this was 
decided; and that was, whether the 
Mohammedan crescent, or the Christian 
cross should be the symbol of faith; 
the Koran or the Bible, the guiding 
star of a bewildered world, and the 
cold, heartless and licentious fatality of 
Mahomet, or the pure, generous, refin- 
ing and divine principles of Christ, be- 
come the hope and support of man. 

Although we may never justify the 
cruelty, and often the blood-thirsty ven- 
geance of the crusaders, still we must 
rejoice that the power of those almost 
innumerable hosts of wild and merciless 
men, (the Turkish hordes,) were crip- 
pled, and their further progress hindered. 
For the accomplishment of such ends, 
no expense could be considered too 
costly. Other great political blessings 



140 RESULTS OF 

were also secured to Europe by these 
sacred wars. While her armies were 
strugghng to reUeve the oppressed in 
Palestine, her own political chains were 
snapt, and while fighting the Infidel, 
she secured her own peace. As we 
have seen, before the crusades, Europe 
was wasted by the contests of the pow- 
erful barons. Agriculture, the arts and 
the humanizing occupations of peace had 
no opportunity for development. The 
clarion of the cross proclaimed at the 
same time, vengeance upon the Turk 
and the "truce of God" with each 
other. Border hostilities were mutually 
dropped ; one common feeling and im- 
pulse cemented all hearts, and thus a 
fraternity of interest was induced. The 
nobles, in order to enable themselves to 
fit out princely armaments for the Holy 
Land, sold to the cities in their juris- 



THE CRUSADES. 141 

diction, charters of liberty. These free 
cities, from personal freedom, soon be- 
gan to look forward to, and struggle 
after civil and political liberty. 

The inert lower class, long pressed 
under the iron heel of tyranny, quick- 
ened into life by the stirring spirit 
everywhere felt, began to arouse them- 
selves from their barbarous ignorance, 
stupidity and tame obedience, and to 
assert their rights as men. The univer- 
sal soul, as well as universal man, 
seemed to be pervaded with a new 
life, and germ after germ of intelli- 
gence sprung forth from a hitherto 
barren soil. 

Many useful arts and sciences, pre- 
viously unknown, were obtained from 
the Saracens and brought into Europe. 
Commerce, one of the chief agents in 
the work of civilization, was called 



142 RESULTS OF 

into renewed being to bear the crusad- 
ing armies to the Syrian ports. Return- 
ng, they came loaded with the wealth 
of the East. Rich and polished cities 
soon arose as the result. Out of the 
bosom of the ocean itself sprang forth 
Yenice, in all her magnificence, filling 
her broad gulf with her white sails. 
Genoa and Pisa were her rivals, and 
shared with her the rich spoils of the 
sea. Poetry, long buried beneath the 
desolations of Greece, or hidden in the 
gloomy cloister of the monk, now came 
forth to chant the praises of chivalric 
daring. The songs of the troubadour 
and trouveres in France, the minne- 
singers in Germany, and the minstrels 
in England, were heard in the baronial 
halls, in the cottage and by the way- 
side. Kings, warriors and noble ladies 
began to cultivate the graceful art; and 



THE CRUSADES. 143 

this was the origin of modern Uterature. 
Before this, all learning and literature 
were clothed in Latin, and thus placed 
entirely out of the reach of the multi- 
tude. Modern languages had been un- 
settled and changing ; but these songs 
were in the vernacular ; the ear of the 
people was reached, and responded to 
its power. These songs were followed 
by graver works in the same homely 
but eagerly received languages, and thus 
national literature, languages and char- 
acter were formed in the different 
.kingdoms of modern Europe. Commerce, 
inspired by the crusades, and aided by 
the discovery of the mariner's compass, 
soon opened a new world, under the 
fearless piloting of the sailor of Genoa. 
Literature advancing, formed the ne- 
cessity which occasioned the invention 
of the art of printing 5 and now the 



144 KESULTS OF CRUSADES. 

world was prepared for a new revolu- 
tion and a greater advance towards 
Christian civilization. It came in the 
form of the glorious Reformation of 
the sixteenth century. Chivalry and 
the Crusades had prepared men men- 
tally, physically and civilly, and then 
started a train whose explosion anni- 
hilated the cause, and introduced our 
own era, with its wonderful advances 
in science, liberty and religion. 



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